Shizuoka, Kanagawa governments oppose radiation screening order for tea leaves

[Robbien]

Source: Mainichi Japan Times

The Shizuoka and Kanagawa prefectural governments have called on the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to withdraw its request for local authorities in northeastern and eastern Japan to check radiation levels in green tea leaves during processing.

After the amount of radioactive cesium exceeding the legal limit was detected in green tea leaves harvested in Ibaraki and Kanagawa prefectures, the health ministry ordered Tokyo and 13 prefectures in northeastern and eastern Japan on May 16 to ban shipments of half-processed steam dried green tea leaves, known as "Aracha," if cesium tops the national permissible limit of 500 becquerels per kilogram.

The cesium concentration in steam dried green tea can become about five times as high as that in raw leaves, prompting the ministry to order the prefectures to check radiation levels in Aracha.

. . .

On the same day, Kanagawa Gov. Yuji Kuroiwa submitted a petition to the health minister and the agriculture, forestry and fisheries minister, requesting Aracha be excluded from radiation screening.



Read more: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110518p2a00m0na005000c.html

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Well that didn't take long. It took only a day after finding that the tea is radioactive for TPTB to browbeat the authorities into stopping the testing.

In other news

Radioactive Substances Found in Breast Milk of 5 Japanese Women
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/05/19/radioactive-substances-breast-milk-5-japanese-women/

and farmers now have to buy grass to feed their livestock because
Grazing rights lost over 'radioactive' grass
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110517005442.htm


and TBTB are still trying to hush up the fact that seaweed is radioactive. It is seaweed harvesting season. But so far Greenpeace is not cooperating.

[damntexdem]

1. OK, don't anyone drink any green tea --

not until you've determined that it did not come from Japan.

[fascisthunter]

2. Boycott Tea from Them

[PearliePoo2]

3. Massive cover-up going on...follow the money

The Fukushima plant situation is out of control and has been from the beginning.
Tepco doesn't have a fucking clue. Media blackout ensues.
Entire livelihoods of millions are impacted now and will be for years to come as this environmental/economic catastrophe unfolds. What to do? Just keep raising the allowable radiation doses....everything is just fine.
Fisherman want to sell their fish, tea growers, likewise, seaweed harvesters, ditto.
I wouldn't buy a THING from Japan right now. Check your country of origin.

[SoapBox]

4. Yikes!

...I ONLY drink black and green teas.

And now even those might be "toxic"?

- sigh -

[lbrtbell]

5. I made up my mind weeks ago not to consume anything from Japan

I love Japanese snacks, etc., but not enough to risk my health. I have a stockpile of Pocky that was made before all this happened--once it's gone, no more Pocky for me.

Oh, yeah...and screw the local governments who don't want testing. If they wanted sustained profits, they should have invested in green energy before all this happened.